The mission of the Architectural Review Board (ARB) is to ensure harmonious relationships among all homes and property in Blackbird Farms to maintain high real estate values, as well as to ensure that homeowners respect the property rights of others in the Association.
The members of the Architectural Review Board are homeowners who are appointed by the Board of Directors and serve on a volunteer basis. All requests for projects that alter the exterior of any Lot or the improvements thereon, including fences, decks, garage doors, sheds, etc., shall be submitted to all members of the Architectural Review Board for consideration, with a copy to the President of the Board of Directors. Requestors should allow 30 days for a response and must await the Board’s approval before proceeding with any project activities.
The easiest way to submit a project proposal to the Architectural Review Board is by using the Submit Project Proposal online form. Please read the ARB Procedures, Standards and Guidelines below before submitting.
ARB Procedures, Standards, and Guidelines
The Procedures, Standards, and Guidelines list conditions and situations that require homeowners to contact the ARB before making changes to their property, and outline the procedures that homeowners are required to follow to obtain ARB approval. Click on the above link to download the Procedures, Standards, and Guidelines that include complete instructions for what to include in your proposal. Any questions or concerns may also be directed to the ARB chair.
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The Architectural Review Board will accept a satellite map of your property to show the location of your project on your lot, as part of your proposal.
To obtain a satellite map,
– Go the Tippecanoe County GIS website.
– Enter the owner’s name or other location information in the field in the upper right hand corner map panel and search.
– The results are displayed in the left panel with property information, click on dropdown menu at the top of the panel and select Zoom to Feature to obtain your map.
– Use your mouse to navigate around the map that comes up and to zoom in or out until you have a good image of your property.
– Click the tools button in the upper right corner of the map. This will allow you to draw on the map to show the location of your project and print a copy of your map. Alternately, you can print your map, draw the location of your project on it, and scan it to send to us.
– Submit your map to the ARB. Please make sure that the map that you submit shows a clear image of your lot and includes the red property lines.
You are responsible for making sure that your project is within your own property lines and that the main structure does not fall outside the minimum build lines. The easement is a section along and within your property lines that allows access to utility lines; it may be up to 40 feet wide. The easement section is your property and you must maintain it. If you decide to build structures such as fences and utility sheds, or add plantings with the easement, you do so at your own risk. If utility companies should need access to the lines, they may not be responsible for repairing or replacing any damaged landscaping, fences, etc. within the easement.
For a nominal fee, you can obtain a plat map showing the locations of your property lines, the minimum build line, and easements:
-Go in person to the Recorder’s Office on the second floor of the Tippecanoe County Office Building at the corner of Third and Columbia Streets in downtown Lafayette. You cannot obtain a plat map electronically or by mail.
-Ask the clerk at the front desk for a copy of the plat map of your property. Work with the clerk to figure out what portion of the phase or section map shows as big and clear a picture of your property as you can get, without editing out the descriptors for the lines.
-The clerk will print a copy of your map. There will be a small fee, depending on the size of the map you buy, and you must pay in cash.
Our utility lines in Blackbird Farms are underground. Make sure to dial 811 to have underground utility lines marked so that you don’t disrupt them when you install your project. Indiana 811 has provided this information:
-Always call Indiana 811 at least two work days prior to digging, regardless of the depth
-Plan ahead and provide ample time for the approximate location of lines to be marked
-Confirm that all lines have been marked
-Learn what the various colors of paint and flags represent
-Consider moving the project location if is near utility line markings
-If a contractor has been hired, don’t allow work to begin if the lines are not marked.
For more information, go to Indiana 811.org.